1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to digital cameras that pick up and record an image of an object such as a print/picture and store it.
2. Background Art
In the past, digital cameras are known that pick up and store an image of a print/picture. Such camera comprises a body attached through an arm to a stand on which an object whose image is to be picked up is placed such that the position at which the object image is picked up can be moved without moving the object and the camera body (for example, as disclosed by Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei-10-229515). The camera, however, requires a sliding member that moves the position at which the object image is picked up, thereby making the whole camera large-scaled.
Images of calling cards, postcards, catalogs, signboards or bulletin boards picked up by digital cameras are more or less deformed. A method and apparatus is known that identifies and corrects a four-sided figure including such image so as to provide a non-deformed rectangular image (for example, as shown by Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-58877). Thus, when no image is picked up in an optimal state, when the picked-up image is too small or when the picked-up image lacks partly, a preferable image cannot be obtained even by retouching. For example, when the image pickup state of a calling card is bad, the characters printed on the calling card would be unclear. Thus, when the image of the calling card is picked up, careful pickup operation is required, for example, by finely adjusting the direction of the lens while performing the zooming-in/-out operation, which would impose a large burden on the user.